Source: www.bu.edu
Studying is a long term process. As doctors, we are required to constantly study and revise our knowledge as the field that we embark in is a matter of life and death, literally. Studying has to be effective and efficient as time is definitely a constraint on medical students and doctors alike.
Here, I would like to share a few study tips to get you through medical school. Hopefully, studying will be a breeze whenever you do it.
Strategize
Like war, studying is a high intensity situation in which without a good strategy, you are most likely to feel easily burned out or defeated. Studying medicine needs a 4 phase strategy where you definitely need to identify, organize, memorize and apply the knowledge which has been given to you.
Identify key topics in any subjects and organize them accordingly. After that, start memorizing and understanding at the same time and finally try to clinically correlate and apply the knowledge you have gained.
Review
Knowledge as my lecturers used to say, is highly volatile as u tend to forget very rapidly. One way to keep it in is by reading prior to lectures or sessions. This way you will get a rough idea or impression of the lecture or session and this will help you retain some of the information. Also, remember to review your notes daily if possible especially on the previous lectures.
Compare and contrast
Always generate questions in your mind about the differences between two things, drugs or approaches to see how one is better than the other and why was it chosen as a treatment. This will enhance your thinking skills and even help you understand difficult topics in medicine. This will also help you to apply the knowledge you have learned clinically.
Timing
Like all things, timing is of utmost importance. Identify your prime studying times. Find out if you are an early riser or an owl. Once you have established a steady timeline, you are most likely to adhere to the allocated times that are suited to your sleep wake cycle. Furthermore, it is vital to schedule a timetable or a planner in order to prepare yourselves well for examinations or assessments. Make a checklist, and make sure you have covered and comprehended all the topics or MUST KNOW subjects..
Patterns
Everyone is unique in their own way and when it comes to study patterns, we cannot differ more, just like when you determine if you are an early riser or an owl that prefers to burn the midnight oil. People have various learning styles. When it comes to taking notes in lectures, some prefer to do so while others prefer to focus and pay full attention to their lecturers and continue revising at home. It is important to know that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Having said that, a skill that may be beneficial to one person may not be to another. Some ways u can learn better is by taking notes, reading aloud, repetition, quizzing and mind-mapping. You can also mix and match your study tools and tailor the styles to suit your needs.
Group study and peer teaching
One of the most powerful ways to learn is to teach other students about a subject. When you teach others, you are actually strengthening your pre-existing knowledge and you may also be fortunate enough to realize previous mistakes. One of the most efficient ways of completing the work of the medical curriculum is to organize a committed group of three or four students that will study, teach, and learn together. Some may refer to this as the mentor-mentee programme. Preparation and presentation of subject material is a reinforcement exercise that increases the learning of each “student teacher”. Subsequent group discussions moves the learning from rote memorization into a conceptual understanding of the subject.
In summary study tips are custom for each of us, we must learn to first explore our study style before studying to ease the study burden which subsequently reduces study stress.
Happy Studying!
“You will ever remember that all the end of study is to make you a good man and a useful citizen”
― John Adams
This article is written by Izzuddin Azaharuddin, a 4th year student at Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences. Learn more about the Young Columnists the main menu.